Charles p



(ModeL) 0. P. GROUT.

PERMUTATION PAD LOGK.

No. 255,164. Patented Mar. 21,1882.

liar e12 h) zzesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC CHARLES P. GROUT, OF YORK, N. Y.

PERMUTATlON-PADLOCK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 255,164, dated March 21, 1882.

Application filed May 16, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES P. GROUT, of the city, county, and State of New York,have' invented a certain Improved Ring-Lock, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a ring-lock which may be employed as a convenient means of attaching or suspending any article, or which may be fixed to astaple or other device to-serve as a lock, and which cannot be readily taken off or released from the device to which it is secured or the article which is attached to it.

The invention consists in the combination of an outer and an inner ring, each having in it a notch or opening, and the inner ring'having a toothed periphery, and a nut surrounding the inner ring and engaging with the toothed periphery thereof for turning or moving'it within the outer ring.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the outer and inner notched rings, and means for turning or moving the inner ring, of two or more locking-rings having each an inwardly-projecting rib or flange which engages with a notch in the inner ring to prevent it from being turned or moved within the outer ring, but which is itself notched so as to permit of the inner ring being moved when said locking-ring is turned into a certain position, whereby the inner ring is held against movement save when the two locking-rings occupy a single predetermined relative position, and a simple permutation lock is provided. x v

In-the accom 'tanying drawing Figurel represents a side view of a ring-lock embodying my invention with the notch in theinner ring coincident with the notch in the outer ring. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section of the ring-lock with the inner ring adjusted to close the notch in the outer ring. Fig. 3 represents a section of the lock upon the dotted line 00 ac, Fig.2. Fig. 4representsa transverse sectional view of one side of the ring only,

showing the manner in which the locking-rings are secured and held in place. Fig. 5 repre- "sents a similar section, showing the manner in (ModeL) or block which holds the locking rings in proper position. Fig; 7 represents a side view of a ring-lock of simple form. Fig. 8 represents a section upon the dotted line yy, Fig.7; and Fig. 9 represents a plan of a device having my ring-lock combined with it.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring first more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, A represents a tubular or 1101- low ring, which is continuous, except that at one point it is cutaway or has leftin it a notch or opening, a, and in transverse section it presents an annular form, as seen in Fig. 3.

'Within the outer ring, A, is fitted an inner ring, B, considerably smaller in transverse section'than the outer ring, and fitting therein loosely enough to permit of its being readily moved or turned within the outer ring. The inner ring, B, has also a notch or opening b, like the notch or opening a, and whenthe two notchesor openings are coincident, as in Fig. l, the ring can be readily inserted through or placed upon any article or device. 'VVhen, however, the inner ring is moved to conceal and cover the notch or opening 1) within the outer ring, A, there is formed in effect a solid or continuous ring, as seen in Fig. 2. Theinner ring and outer ring are of course made separately. and afterward, by deflecting the portions of both rings on opposite sides of the notches in opposite directions, the inner ring may beinserted or threaded into the outer ring. v The inner ring, B, for a considerable portion of its circumference is provided upon its outer periphery with teeth forming sections of a screw-thread; and 0 designates a nut internally threaded to engage with said teeth, andforming therewith screw-gearing for moving .the inner ring. The outer ring, A, is notched or cut away at 0, so as to expose the' toothed periphery of the inner ring, and the hole in the nut is of a size to pass readily over the outer ring- The nut may be inserted in thcno'tch aland slipped over the outer ring, and then pressed into the notch or opening 0' to engage with the teeth of the inner ring, and it; is held in engagement therewith by inserting a crescent-shaped block or packing-piece, d, of the form shown in Fig. 6, into the nut, or

rather between the interior of the nut and the inner periphery of the outer ring.

The block d may be soldered or otherwise secured to the outer ring, and by turning or rotating the not C the inner ring, B, may be turned or moved within the outer ring.

In order to make thelock more secure, 1 cmploy two or more locking rings, D, each having an internal annularrib or fiange,c, in which is an opening or notch, e, and a hole through it of a size to slip easily over the outer ring, A. The outer ring, A, hasin its outer periphery notches f, in which the locking-ringsD tit, and the outer periphery of the inner ring has in it two notches, g g, which receive the ribs or flanges e in the locking-rings D. The ribs or flanges e are held in engagement with the notches gin the inner ring, B, by inserting blocks (1 (see Fig. 6) between the inner periphcry of the outer ring, A, and thelocking-rings D; and it is obvious that the inner ring. B, cannot be turned or moved until the lockingiings are both turned so as to bring their notches c in line and at the outer periphery of the inner ring, B, as seen in Fig. 4.

Around the locking rings D are secured bands li,lettered or numbered, as seen in Fig.1, and which may be shifted thereon and secured in any desired position. Thus it will be evident that while the rings D can be readily adjusted by any one knowing the letters which are opposite the notches to bring their notches e in line, they cannot readily be' so adjusted by any one not knowing the combination of letters. Thus I provide. a very simple and secure permutation-lock.

The nut O and rings D are held in proper relation to each other by pieces 1', fitting between them and outside the outer ring, A.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the inner ring, B, is turned or moved within the outer ring, A, by means of a worm or screw, j, fitting in hearings or lugs k upon the outer ring and engaging with the teeth upon the inner ring. The worm or screw j may be readily turned by a head or button, I.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 I have represented upon a very much enlarged scale a device which may be employed to connect two cuifbuttons or sleeve-links, one of which may be permanently fixed upon thesolid ring at and the other secured upon the ring-lock composed of the notched outer and inner rings, A and B. The two rings are connected by a strap or band, a, and the inner ring, B, of the ringlock may he turned by turning a small spurwheel, 12, which transmits the motion through a small pinion, 0, to the toothed in-' ner ring,B. The ring-lock in its simplest form, or in the form shown in Fig. 1, may be advantageously used for a keyring for attaching or suspending various articles, and generally as a substitute for a padlock or other lock in many situations. The outer ring, which forms a casing for the inner ring, is very desirable for many reasons. It enables theinner ring to be inserted into the outer one by simply deflecting or bending the two ends at the notch or opening in the outer ring in opposite directions sidewise, so that the inner ring, while being inserted in one end, will pass the other end. If the case of the inner ring were not made in the form of a ring, it would have to be made in two parts to enable the inner ring to be inserted in place. The outer ring afl'ords a large open center which enables the ring to be inserted through any'hole at a distance from the edge of any article, and it also enables the ring-lock to be used as a means of connect ing two rings or links-as, for instance, for locking a watch to a chain. The large opening in the center also enables a large number of keys or other similar articles to be strung over the outer ring and locked in.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of an outer and an inner ring, each having in it a notch or opening, and the inner ring having a toothed peripheryand a nut surrounding the inner ring and engagingwith the toothed periphery thereoffor turning or moving it within the outer ring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the outer ring, A, having the notch or opening aand the notch c, the inner ring, B, having the notch or opening I) and a toothed periphery, the nut (J, fitting in said notch c, and the crescent-shaped block d, for retaining it therein, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the outer and inner rings, each having a notch or opening and means for turning or moving the inner ring within the outer ring, of two or more permutation locking-rings engaging with said inner ring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination ofthe outer ring, A,having a notch or opening, a, and notches f, the inner ring, B, having a notch or opening, b, and notches g, means for turning or moving said inner ring within said outer ring, and the permutation locking-rings D, each having a rib or tlange,0, in which is a notch, 0, all substantially as specified.

CHAS. P. GROUT.

Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, A. O. WEBB. 

